American Airports Refuse Kristi Noem Video Blaming Democratic Party for Federal Closure

Several prominent global airports across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current government closure from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our TSA workers are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to displaying the video in its current form, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational nature of the public service announcements usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democrats will shortly recognize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find ways to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.